"And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here."
(Luke 19:29-30)
Jesus was a planner. He knew about the coming Passover feast. The Lord knew He had to go to Jerusalem. He also knew how He was to enter Jerusalem and how He would die during the Passover Feast.
He did not just wait for the events to overtake Him. He did not hope that things would just fall into place when the time came. He arranged for resources ahead of time. Jesus knew what He needed for the trip to Jerusalem. He was going to go into Jerusalem riding on a donkey in accordance with prophecy.
Usually, Jesus walked from place to place or rode in a boat. When He needed to walk, He used His feet. When the Lord had to go across a water body, a boat was required. Since many of His disciples were fishermen, we can assume that He had immediate access to boats. However, for this trip to Jerusalem, Jesus was going to need a donkey.
The story does not tell us how He acquired it. The Lord might have bought it, rented it or negotiated for it in some way. Interestingly, He made arrangements for the donkey without the knowledge of his disciples. That shows how resourceful the Lord was and the extent of His network.
The important lesson is that Jesus arranged for what He needed ahead of time. We have to think ahead of time and plan ahead of time for the things we need. If it is not immediately available to us, we must give ourselves enough time to get it for the time when we need it.
From the narration, you get the impression that Jesus walked with the two disciples close to where the donkey was and gave them instructions. He knew where to locate His resources. What benefit is there to arrange for something ahead of time and forget where you put it?
The Lord Jesus teaches us that in addition to knowing what the Lord has promised us in His Word, we must plan meticulously in line with God’s word.